Mars Express
Mars Express is the European Space Agency's first planetary mission. It carries seven scientific instruments that will study the geology of the planet and search for water under the Martian surface.
Research institutes throughout Europe have provided the instruments; the space craft was built by a consortium of 24 companies from 15 European countries and the USA.
The space craft will fly around Mars for an entire Martian year. Scientists are confident that if water is present on the Red Planet, Mars Express will find it.
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The BBC's Richard Black explores the science of Mars